Evaluating Factors Influencing Technical Efficiency and Milk Yield in Dairy Farms: Evidence from the Gaziantep Region, Türkiye

PDF
Published: Apr 19, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.38618
Keywords:
Technical efficiency Milk yield Dairy farm management Udder health Stochastic frontier analysis
Hİ Tosun
Rumico Livestock Management and Nutrition, Aydın, Türkiye
Abstract

The dairy industry is a vital component of Türkiye's agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the national economy. This study examines the technical efficiency of dairy farms in the Gaziantep region, a key dairy-producing area in Türkiye, to identify factors influencing milk yield and technical efficiency. Data were collected from 791 dairy farms using stratified random sampling. The study employed the Stochastic Frontier Analysis to estimate efficiency scores, focusing on variables such as feed intake, udder health, and management practices. Technical efficiency scores ranged between 0.65 and 0.99, with an average of 0.95. The coefficients of the variables explaining inefficiency were as expected. By addressing these inefficiencies, milk yield in the region could potentially increase by 5.00% with the same inputs, which would improve overall efficiency. The analysis revealed that udder health management practices, including pre- and post-dipping, the use of headlocks after milking, and vaccination programs, significantly impact TE and milk yield (t-values: -2.584, -1.681, and -2.909, respectively). The findings underscore the importance of proper management practices in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of dairy farms. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, farmers, and researchers aiming to improve dairy farm efficiency and sustainability.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Aigner D, Lovell C K, Schmidt P (1977) Formulation and estimation of
stochastic frontier production function models. Journal of econometrics
(1):21-37. doi: 10.1016/0304-4076(77)90052-5
Akbar M O, Shahbaz Khan M S, Ali M J, Hussain A, Qaiser G, Pasha
M, Pasha U, Missen M S, Akhtar N (2020) IoT for development of
smart dairy farming. Journal of Food Quality 2020(1):4242805. doi:
1155/2020/4242805
Atzori A, Valsecchi C, Manca E, Masoero F, Cannas A, Gallo A (2021)
Assessment of feed and economic efficiency of dairy farms based on
multivariate aggregation of partial indicators measured on field. Journal
of Dairy Science 104(12):12679-12692. doi: 10.3168/jds.2020-
Birhanu M Y, Alemayehu T, Bruno J E, Kebede F G, Sonaiya E B,
Goromela E H, Bamidele O, Dessie T (2021) Technical efficiency
of traditional village chicken production in Africa: Entry points for
sustainable transformation and improved livelihood. Sustainability
(15):8539. doi: 10.3390/su13158539
Cabrera V E, Solis D, Del Corral J (2010) Determinants of technical efficiency
among dairy farms in Wisconsin. Journal of Dairy Science
(1):387-393. doi: 10.3168/jds.2009-2307
Chen Y, Wang Y, Robertson I D, Hu C, Chen H, Guo A (2021) Key issues
affecting the current status of infectious diseases in Chinese cattle
farms and their control through vaccination. Vaccine 39(30):4184-
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021
Coelli T J (1995) Estimators and hypothesis tests for a stochastic frontier
function: A Monte Carlo analysis. Journal of Productivity Analysis
:247-268. doi: 10.1007/BF01076978
Coelli T J (1996) A guide to FRONTIER version 4.1: A computer program
for stochastic frontier production and cost function estimation, CEPA
working papers.
Coelli T J, Rao D S P, O’Donnell C J, Battese G E (2005) An introduction
to efficiency and productivity analysis. Springer science & business
media.
El-Sayed A, Kamel M (2021) Bovine mastitis prevention and control in
the post-antibiotic era. Tropical animal health and production 53:1-
doi: 10.1007/s11250-021-02680-9
Erdem M, Ağır H B (2024) Enhancing dairy farm welfare: A holistic
examination of technology adoption and economic performance in
Kahramanmaraş province, Turkey. Sustainability 16(7):2989. doi:
3390/su16072989
Espadamala A, Pallarés P, Lago A, Silva-del-Río N (2016) Fresh-cow handling
practices and methods for identification of health disorders on
dairy farms in California. Journal of Dairy Science 99(11):9319-
doi: 10.3168/jds.2016-11178
Faye B, Konuspayeva G (2012) The sustainability challenge to the dairy
sector-The growing importance of non-cattle milk production worldwide.
International Dairy Journal 24(2):50-56. doi: 10.1016/j.idairyj.
12.011
Ferrazza R d A, Lopes M A, Prado D G d O, Lima R R d, Bruhn F R
P (2020) Association between technical and economic performance
indexes and dairy farm profitability. Revista Brasileira de zootecnia
:e20180116. doi: 10.37496/rbz4920180116
Gantner V, Jožef I, Samardžija M, Steiner Z, Gantner R, Solić D, Potočnik
K (2024) The variability in the prevalence of subclinical and clinical
mastitis and its impact on milk yield of Holstein and Simmental cows
as a result of parity. Veterinarski Arhiv 94(4):269-284. doi: 10.24099/
vet.arhiv.2518
Gürsoy O (2006) Economics and profitability of sheep and goat production
in Turkey under new support regimes and market conditions.
Small ruminant research 62(3):181-191. doi: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.
08.013
Hogeveen H, Steeneveld W, Wolf C A (2019) Production diseases reduce
the efficiency of dairy production: A review of the results, methods,
and approaches regarding the economics of mastitis. Annual review
of resource economics 11(1):289-312. doi: 10.1146/annurev-resource-
-093954
Iribarren D, Hospido A, Moreira M T, Feijoo G (2011) Benchmarking
environmental and operational parameters through eco-efficiency criteria
for dairy farms. Science of the total environment 409(10):1786-
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.02.013
Kodde D A, Palm F C (1986) Wald criteria for jointly testing equality
and inequality restrictions. Econometrica: Journal of the econometric
society:1243-1248. doi: doi.org/10.2307/1912331
König F, Hancock A, Wunderlich C, Klawitter M, Breuer T, Simoni A,
Weimar K, Drillich M, Iwersen M (2023) Systematic evaluation of
different fresh cow monitoring procedures. Animals 13(7):1231. doi:
3390/ani13071231
Malik T A, Mohini M, Mir S, Ganaie B, Singh D, Varun T, Howal S,
Thakur S (2018) Somatic cells in relation to udder health and milk
quality-a review. Journal of Animal Health and Production 6(1):18-
doi: 10.17582/journal.jahp/2018/6.1.18.26
McMullen C K, Sargeant J M, Kelton D F, Churchill K J, Cousins K S,
Winder C B (2021) Modifiable management practices to improve udder
health in dairy cattle during the dry period and early lactation: A
scoping review. Journal of Dairy Science 104(9):10143-10157. doi:
3168/jds.2020-19873
Meeusen W, van Den Broeck J (1977) Efficiency estimation from
Cobb-Douglas production functions with composed error. International
Economic Review:435-444. doi: 10.2307/2525757
Neculai-Valeanu A S, Ariton A M (2022) Udder health monitoring for prevention
of bovine mastitis and improvement of milk quality. Bioengineering
(11):608. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering9110608
Papinchak L, Paudyal S, Pineiro J (2022) Effects of prolonged lock-up
time on milk production and health of dairy cattle. Veterinary Quarterly
(1):175-182. doi: 10.1080/01652176.2022.2119622
Pulina G, Tondo A, Danieli P P, Primi R, Matteo Crovetto G, Fantini A,
Macciotta N P P, Atzori A S (2020) How to manage cows yielding
,000 kg of milk: Technical challenges and environmental implications.
Italian Journal of Animal Science 19(1):865-879. doi:
1080/1828051X.2020.1805370
Robles I, Kelton D, Barkema H, Keefe G, Roy J, Von Keyserlingk M,
DeVries T (2020) Bacterial concentrations in bedding and their association
with dairy cow hygiene and milk quality. Animal 14(5):1052-
doi: 10.1017/S1751731119002787
Robles I, Zambelis A, Kelton D, Barkema H, Keefe G, Roy J, Von Keyserlingk
N, DeVries T (2021) Associations of freestall design and cleanliness
with cow lying behavior, hygiene, lameness, and risk of high
somatic cell count. Journal of Dairy Science 104(2):2231-2242. doi:
3168/jds.2020-18916
Romero G, Peris C, Fthenakis G C, Diaz J R (2020) Effects of machine
milking on udder health in dairy ewes. Small Ruminant Research
:106096. doi: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2020.106096
Russell N P, Young T (1983) Frontier production functions and the measurement
of technical efficiency. Journal of Agricultural Economics
(2):139-150. doi: 10.1111/j.1477-9552.1983.tb00984.x
Singh A K, Kumari T, Rajput M S, Baishya A, Bhatt N, Roy S (2020) A
review: Effect of bedding material on production, reproduction and
health and behavior of dairy animals. International Journal of Livestock
Research 10(7):11-20. doi: 10.5455/ijlr.20200207073618
Skevas T, Cabrera V (2020) Measuring farmers’ dynamic technical and
udder health management inefficiencies: The case of Wisconsin dairy
farms. Journal of Dairy Science 103(12):12117-12127. doi: 10.3168/
jds.2020-18656
Sorathiya L M (2024) Association of good dairy farming practices, welfare
and performance: A Review. Indian Journal of Animal Production
and Management 40(3):134-145
Terry S A, Basarab J A, Guan L L, McAllister T A (2020) Strategies to
improve the efficiency of beef cattle production. Canadian Journal of
Animal Science 101(1):1-19. doi: 10.1139/cjas-2020-0022
Tricarico J, Kebreab E, Wattiaux M (2020) Sustainability of dairy production and consumption in low-income countries with emphasis
on productivity and environmental impact. Journal of Dairy Science
(11):9791-9802. doi: 10.3168/jds.2020-18269
TUİK (2020) Büyükbaş hayvan saysısı. Türkiye istatistik kurumu. Retrieved
June 2020 from https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/ilgosterge/?locale=
tr
Van Soest F J, Santman-Berends I M, Lam T J, Hogeveen H (2016) Failure
and preventive costs of mastitis on Dutch dairy farms. Journal of
Dairy Science 99(10):8365-8374. doi: 10.3168/jds.2015-10561
Vandehaar M J (1998) Efficiency of nutrient use and relationship to profitability
on dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science 81(1):272-282. doi:
3168/jds.S0022-0302(98)75576-6
Witkowska D, Ponieważ A (2022) The effect of housing system on disease
prevalence and productive lifespan of dairy herds—A case study. Animals
(13):1610. doi: 10.3390/ani12131610
Yamane T, Esin A (2010) Temel örnekleme yöntemleri. Literatür
yayıncılık.
Yanuartono Y, Nururrozi A, Indarjulianto S, Purnamaningsih H, Ramandani
D (2020) The benefits of teat dipping as prevention of mastitis.
Journal of Livestock Science and Production 4(1):231-249
Zigo F, Vasil M, Ondrašovičová S, Výrostková J, Bujok J, Pecka-Kielb E
(2021) Maintaining optimal mammary gland health and prevention of
mastitis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8:607311
Most read articles by the same author(s)